Animal-trap



(No Model.) 7

A. T. SULLIVAN.

ANIMAL TRAP.

No. 599,407. Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

l T T FFIQE.

ALONZO TAYLOR SULLIVAN, OF MALCOLM, NEBRASKA.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,407, dated February 22, 1898.

Application filed October 20, 1 8 9 7- To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO TAYLOR SULLI- VAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Malcolm, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal- Traps and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in animal-traps of the wirechoker type; and the object of this invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and effective trap which is made up entirely of metal, the trip-lever and choker-arm being held in place by engagement with loops formed in the easing, which loops are struck up therefrom, there also being a struck-up portion in said casing for the retention of the choker-arm when set, the construction shown reducing the cost of manufacture to a minimum, as well as generally improving the trap.

The invention consists in the special construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a plan View of a blank which when bent forms the side walls of the casing of the trap, said blank having formed therein circular apertures, loops between slitted portions, and an inwardly-projecting portion, as well as notched edges and corners. Figs. 1, 1 and 1 are sectional views taken through the lines a, b, and c of Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the entire trap; Fig. 3, avertical sectional view; Fig. l, a detail perspective view of the choker-arm, and Fig. 5 a detail perspective View of the trip and bait-hook.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a blank of sheet metal of a length and width to form the side walls of a casing, and this blank, when the trap is to be a four-sided structure, is provided with four apertures A and to one side thereof are longitudinal slits a a, cut through the metal, so that the portions between the slits may be bent to form loops for Serial No. 655,801. (No model.)

the purpose of retaining in place the vertical portion of the choker-arm. Adjacent to the lower edge of the blank, below the aperture A, are vertical slits b, the metalbetween said slits being bent inwardly and adjacent thereto outwardly to provide a fulcrum or support for the trip-lever and bait-hook. In the blank are also made connected slits, so that a portion of the blank can be bent inwardly to provide a portion 0' which is positioned above and to one side of the fulcrum of the baithook for engagement with the free end of the choker-arm when the parts are assembled. The blank is also provided with notches, and on a line therewith the blank is bent to form a four-sided casing when a trap of such configuration is desired. A blank constructed as hereinbefore described is made from suitable dies, and prior to being bent the chokerarms and bait-hook and trip-lever are placed in position, and after they have been secured in place the blank is bent, the upper and lower edges wired, and the top or covering-plate secured thereto.

The choker-arms B are each made up of single pieces of spring-wire, which between the end members are bent to form a coil, and one member B is passed through the loops between the slits a, the end thereof being bent at right angles to engage horizontally with the wall of the casing, and the chokerarm B projects from the coil, so as to be positioned away from the casing, so that it will not engage therewith in its upward movement when sprung, and said choker-arm 13 is of sufficient length when lowered to engage with the projecting portion 0 of the casing, and the outer end of the choker-arm is bent at right angles to form a grasping portion. When the choker-arm is not in engagement with the projecting portion, it may abut against the covering-plate or top wall of the trap.

The trip-lever and bait-hook C are made up of a single piece of wire bent to provide a loop or ring 0 bait-hook c and a portion having a return-bend 0 one member which projects from this return-bend engaging with the horizontal loops of the casing, so that the trip-lever and bait-hook will be fulcrumed, the loop thereof being in front of the aperture in the casing. The terminal portion is bent at substantially right angles to provide a trip or trigger a, which projects from the bar 0 and is in about the same plane as the loop and baithook. Vhen the trap is set, the trip or trigger will lie between the end of the chokerarm and the inner wall of the casing, so that a movement of the part 0 will release the choker-arm from the projecting part of the casing.

Both the ends of the choker-arm and the trip-lever are bent after the members thereof have passed beneath the loops in the casing.

In baiting the trap the bait is placed on the bait-hook and the return-bend abuts against the inner wall of the casing, near the lower edge thereof, so that the bait-hook will be positioned beyond the casing, so as to be readily accessible.

In setting the trap it is inverted, so as to bring the bait-hooks automatically in position for setting. The thumb-piece on the chokerarm is then grasped and brought over the trigger, so as to engage with the inwardlyprojecting portion 0 of the casing, and an animal in attempting to reach the bait will move the trip-lever so as to release the choker-arm, and said choker-arm, moving upwardly, will choke the animal.

In the manufacture of this trap I entirely dispense with the use of solder or means other than 'hereinbefore described for holding the parts in place, and the retaining means are integral with the casing or wall of the trap, and, though I have described the trap as a four-sided structure, it is obvious that the casing may be triangular or polygonal.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An animal-trap consisting of a casing or plate having an aperture and loops formed in the side walls and a struck-up portion integral with the wall, a spring-actuated chokerarm and a trip-lever held in engagement with the wall by the loops, the projecting portion being in line with the choker-arm substantially as shown.

2. A casing for an animal-trap made up from a blank, said blank having formed therein an aperture and loops disposed to one side and below the aperture to provide retaining means for a choker-arm and a trip-lever, substantially as set forth.

3. A casing for an animal-trap made up from a blank having a circular aperture formed therein, slits a to provide verticallydisposed loops, and slits Z) providing with the bends in the metal retaining means for a triplever, and a projecting portion integral with the wall with which the choker-arm retained by the horizontally-disposed loop engages, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an animal-trap, a casing therefor comprising a blank having vertical and horizontal loops and a projecting member integral therewith, in combination with choker-arms and trip-levers having straight portions which are adapted to be passed under the loops so as to be held in engagement therewith, the endsof the choker-arms and trip-levers being bent so as to prevent displacement of said parts, the blank with said parts thereon being bent to form a casing, substantially as set forth.

5. In an animal-trap, a casing made of a single strip of metal which when bent presents a plurality of sides, each side portion having apertures A and integral loops positioned below and to one side of the apertures, a struck-up projecting portion 0, which extends inwardly, in combination with trip-levers and choker-arms each having members which pass through the loops to hold them in engagement with the casings, the choker-arm engaging when the trap is set with the projecting portion 0 of the casing, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALONZO TAYLOR SULLIVAN.

Witnesses:

J OHN CARPENTER, A. OTTERMAN. 

